Gray-Milne seismograph made by James White

Made:
1885 in Glasgow
maker:
James White
designer:
John Milne
and
Thomas Gray
Gray-Milne seismograph by James White, 1885. General three quarter front view on grey background. From a colour Gray-Milne seismograph by James White, 1885. General three quarter reverse view on grey background. From a colour Gray-Milne seismograph by James White, 1885. General three quarter reverse view on graduated grey background. From a Gray-Milne seismograph by James White, 1885. General side view on grey background. From a colour transparency in the

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Gray-Milne seismograph by James White, 1885. General three quarter front view on grey background. From a colour
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Gray-Milne seismograph by James White, 1885. General three quarter reverse view on grey background. From a colour
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Gray-Milne seismograph by James White, 1885. General three quarter reverse view on graduated grey background. From a
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Gray-Milne seismograph by James White, 1885. General side view on grey background. From a colour transparency in the
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Gray-Milne seismograph, plus weights, winding keys and carton of parts, for recording both horizontal and vertical motion during an earthquake. Designed in Japan by Thomas Gray and John Milne, and made by the James White firm, Glasgow, Scotland, 1885. A plaque on the instrument reads: ‘Gray & Milne’s seismograph | No. 3 | James White | Glasgow.'

The Scottish engineer Thomas Lomar Gray and British geologist John Milne met whilst working as professors at the Imperial College of Technology in Tokyo, Japan. They designed this instrument to record the motion of the earthquakes they frequently experienced there. Several examples of their design were constructed in Japan, but this example was manufactured by the James White instrument firm after Gray returned to Britain in 1883.

Two conical pendulums register both horizontal components of motion, and the large flat curving springs are part of the lever mechanism that registers vertical motion. The instrument ran continuously, driven by clockwork, with a timekeeping device making a mark on the paper ribbon every ten minutes so that the timing of any disturbance could be recorded.

Look closer

Seismograph

Details

Category:
Geophysics
Object Number:
1885-115
Materials:
brass (copper, zinc alloy), glass, paper (fibre product) and steel (metal)
Measurements:
overall: 758 mm x 578 mm x 490 mm, 45.5 kg
overall (lead cyclinder weights): 2.5 kg
type:
seismograph
taxonomy:
  • furnishing and equipment
  • measuring device - instrument
  • seismometer
  • functions
  • functions (activities)
credit:
White, J. (Scotland)